Nigerian music star Tiwa Savage has revealed how determination—and a little “shamelessness”—helped her secure a record deal with Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records in 2012.
The award-winning singer recounted how her initial efforts to join Mo’ Hits Records were unsuccessful, even though she had collaborated with some of its members.
“I wasn’t part of Mo’Hits. I had done songs with Jazzy and stuff, but I wasn’t officially signed. So when he started Mavin, I went to him and said, ‘Can you sign me now?’
“I asked him again. Oh my God, I don’t have shame. I asked again. And then he just said yes—just like that,” she revealed in an interview with Afrobeats Intelligence.
Before landing the Mavin deal, Tiwa stated that she approached several major labels in Nigeria but was turned down.
“They all said no. I think it was because they didn’t believe blending R&B and Afrobeats would work. They’d say, ‘You’re a great singer, you look amazing,’ but I never got a call back.
“I had given up my house in L.A., sold my car, and told everyone I was moving back to Africa to become the next biggest thing. I couldn’t go back to L.A. and start writing songs for people again. I had to stay,’ she recounted.
The 45-year-old singer stated that although her breakthrough came with her debut single ‘Kele Kele Love’, which introduced her to the Nigerian audience, it was the follow-up, ‘Love Me’, that elevated her status as a star.
“When ‘Love Me’ dropped, it was like, ‘Wow! I could see it—this music thing could actually work.’”
Tiwa Savage attends the Universal Music Group’s 2020 Grammy after party presented by Lenovo at Rolling Greens Nursery on January 26, 2020, in Los Angeles, California. Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/AFP
Looking back on her time at Mavin, Tiwa Savage — often called the Queen of Afrobeats — said it shaped her not just as an artist, but also helped her grow as a businesswoman.
“Mavin is still like family. If something is going on, I’d run to Jazzy’s room, and we’d all gather—Sid, Reekado, Tega. We’d cry, talk, and get through it,” she said.
“Most labels don’t care about your personal issues, but at Mavin, it felt different. Don Jazzy is invested in you as a person, not just in your numbers.”
The mother of one also noted that the importance of choosing the right label only became clear after she left.
Tiwa said, “Who you sign to is very important. I didn’t appreciate it until after I left. Some labels see you as a dollar sign, and once you stop making hits, that’s it.”
In 2019, Tiwa signed a global deal with Universal Music Group (UMG), becoming the first Nigerian female act to join the label. Don Jazzy described their seven years together as “epic”.
The singer also spoke about the challenges of balancing motherhood and career, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“I had a home studio and was always there, even at 2 a.m. Sometimes I wasn’t recording—just watching stuff. I wasn’t spending time with my son, and I didn’t like that. I couldn’t separate work from home,” the singer said.
Though her son occasionally hums along in the studio, Tiwa said she is firmly against him pursuing music, citing the toughness and dark side of music.
She added, “There’s no way he’s going into music. Hell no. I’ve seen parents succeed in music, then pressure their kids to follow—even when the kids don’t have the gift. I want him to find his own path. Music is tough.”
The Afrobeats star, who has been vocal about the technicalities of signing an artist, reiterated why she has never signed an artist herself.
“My heart can’t take it. The rate of success is very slim. Even if you’re lucky and get hits, sustaining a career for five or ten years is even harder,” she said.
“Mentally, it’s draining—people think you’re rich, but you still have to look the part even when you’re not making much.”
Since Afrobeats took off with stars like Wizkid and Davido, the genre has mostly been led by male artists, with fewer women getting the same spotlight.
Even though there are many talented female artists, most are still trying to break through in a largely male-dominated industry.
But, addressing the long-standing issue of gender bias in the Afrobeats scene, Tiwa criticised the way women are often judged differently from their male counterparts.
“I hate that ‘for a woman’ comment. Like, ‘You’ve done well—for a woman.’ It’s too male-dominated.
“I don’t want to be the only woman on a lineup just to fill a spot. I want to be there because I’m the best. I can’t believe I’m still fighting these battles, even after a decade.”
The 45-year-old singer also reflected on the controversial look she donned in the music video for her 2024 single “Wanted”, which followed public comments that she was no “longer desirable.”
“There was talk that I was married, not sexy anymore, and my time had passed. So I said, let me do something crazy. It wasn’t just to be sexy—I’m naturally a tomboy—but I wanted to challenge that narrative,” she said.
According to Savage, much of the image shift was driven by her former partner, Tunji “TJ” Balogun.
She said, “He told me to lose weight, start waxing, and wear wigs—he changed my appearance. I was a songwriter in baggy jeans and a T-shirt. He said, ‘Let’s give them the African Rihanna or Beyoncé.’ I wasn’t ready for the backlash, but we went ahead with it.”
Despite starting her career later than many of her peers, the mother of one stated she believes her life experience gave her an edge in the industry.
“I didn’t start young. My first single came out when I was in my thirties. But I studied music and understood contracts—terms like ‘in perpetuity’ and ‘first right of refusal’. That helped me,” Tiwa said.
Asked how she’s managed to stay relevant in such a fast-changing industry, Tiwa said it’s down to taking risks and learning from her mistakes.
The singer said, “This project I’m working on now is a risk. I don’t know if it will work. But I always take accountability. If it fails, I learn from it. I never let failure defeat me.”
Savage also shared her delight in seeing Afrobeats go global in recent times but expressed fears of identity loss, emphasising the need for Africans to take control of their own stories and creativity.
“I’m happy about the rise of Nigerian music, but I worry about us owning our creativity and story. Unlike genres like reggae or Jamaican music, Afrobeats still doesn’t have a clearly defined identity. It’s hard to pin down our unique sound,” the singer added.
Credit: Channels TV
